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You probably would not be surprised to hear that there are many things you didn’t know about ISIS (the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). The extremist jihad organization has been in the news frequently, as it has expanded its territorial reach, which now includes parts of Iraq, Syria, Libya, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. The amount of fighters in its ranks is truly remarkable, as the radical Islamist movement continues to attract militants from all across the globe. This anti-Western and pro-Islamic phenomenon has stunned even the most astute analysts, who certainly were not expecting such a surge in jihadist activity.

There are some things that many people already know about ISIS, such as the fact that it was formerly a branch of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, and that it benefited tremendously from the exit of US troops. The organization was able to grow at an alarming rate thanks to the vacuum of power left behind, along with the absence of proper state authority and rule of law. In a previous article, I presented the 10 biggest terrorist groups in the world and found that similar conditions allowed other organizations to flourish as well.

Filling in the blanks of the things you didn’t know about ISIS might not sound like much to some, yet one of the most important aspects of confrontation, is getting to know your rival. In fact, one would certainly like to present ISIS fighters with a similar list, but regarding the West to see if it could perhaps change some opinions. Hence, we thought it would be interesting to learn something new about ISIS, since the terror it has caused is already common knowledge, as are the human rights abuses perpetrated by its fighters. So here is our list of the five things you didn’t know about ISIS, the jihad organization terrorizing Iraq and its surrounding areas in an attempt to form an Islamic caliphate.